The Hotel Investor Playbook

How a Pilot Bought a $10M Hotel With Zero Hotel Experience | Curt Marker E66


Listen Later

Think you need hotel operations experience to invest in boutique hotels? That belief may be the only thing standing between you and building serious commercial real estate wealth.

In this episode, you'll discover how a Gulfstream pilot raised $1.5 million and became co-GP on a 130-room boutique hotel in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains - without managing a single employee or making a single bed.

A private jet captain who flies billionaires by day reveals his exact framework for partnering on commercial deals, vetting operators, and bringing value to the table through capital raising and deal analysis - not daily operations. When a USDA loan delay tested the partnership and threatened investor confidence, his communication strategy and the GP team's quick action turned a challenge into a case study on how strong partnerships weather any storm.

In this episode, you'll discover:

  • How to add massive value as a hotel investor without operations experience (the skills that actually matter)
  • Why 80% of Curt's $1.5M came from his existing network (not Instagram followers) and how to leverage yours 
  • The critical questions to ask operating partners before co-signing on a major hotel acquisition 
  • Why booking 3,000 additional room nights and raising ADR from $85 to $129 proves the value-add model works 
  • The monthly communication framework that kept 100% of investors confident during an 8-month loan delay
  • How GPs can inject capital at 10% interest to avoid diluting investor shares during unexpected shortfalls

If you're ready to stop letting "lack of operations experience" keep you out of hotel investing, this episode shows you exactly how to raise capital, structure partnerships, and protect investor relationships, even when deals don't go according to plan. This is proof that you can build commercial real estate wealth without being the operator

About Captain Curt

Curt Marker is a 15-year veteran pilot and the CEO of Captain Capital, a commercial real estate firm specializing in developing high-demand assets such as small-bay industrial flex space and boutique hotels. As a third-generation aviator and active private jet captain for billionaires, Curt translates elite "cockpit discipline," safety checklists, and high-level service into rigorous risk management for his real estate projects. He is widely recognized for his radical transparency and "skin in the game" philosophy, focusing on building long-term trust and resilient wealth for his investor partners. Curt also hosts The Captain Curt Show, where he educates professionals on transitioning tax-inefficient income into high-performing, cash-flowing commercial portfolios.

Connect with Captain Curt

Connect with Curt on LinkedIn.

Follow Curt on Instagram or visit their Website.

Learn how to use AI to underwrite faster, streamline operations, automate the busy work, and make better decisions. Start your 7-day free trial of the AI for CRE Collective here.

Connect with Michael on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Email Us at [email protected]

Visit the Hotel Investor Playbook Instagram

Invest with Malama Capital

Submit a deal

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Hotel Investor PlaybookBy Michael Russell

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

66 ratings


More shows like The Hotel Investor Playbook

View all
BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast by BiggerPockets

BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

16,748 Listeners

WSJ What’s News by The Wall Street Journal

WSJ What’s News

4,399 Listeners

Founders by David Senra

Founders

2,195 Listeners

The Martell Method w/ Dan Martell by Dan Martell

The Martell Method w/ Dan Martell

589 Listeners

The Game with Alex Hormozi by Alex Hormozi

The Game with Alex Hormozi

4,482 Listeners

The Journal. by The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

The Journal.

6,118 Listeners

My First Million by Hubspot Media

My First Million

2,656 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

10,260 Listeners

On The Market by BiggerPockets

On The Market

906 Listeners

The Rich Somers Report by Rich Somers

The Rich Somers Report

1,010 Listeners

Build with Leila Hormozi by Leila Hormozi

Build with Leila Hormozi

957 Listeners

The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Deep Dives with Chris Koerner by Chris Koerner

The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Deep Dives with Chris Koerner

259 Listeners

CoStar News Hotels by CoStar News Hotels

CoStar News Hotels

8 Listeners

For Your Own Good by Kassidy Warren

For Your Own Good

63 Listeners

The Hunt for Incredible by Gideon Spencer

The Hunt for Incredible

98 Listeners